10. The Betrayal of the Grand Duke

The Grand Duke, Duter Betenberg, followed Eve’s advice and stationed numerous soldiers at the border, selecting only about ten elite men. It was the minimum number needed to infiltrate the royal palace.

Some might think it dangerous for a king to enter enemy territory with only about ten men, but Duter wasn’t concerned.

He changed direction by applying pressure to the reins and looked at the elite few following him.

They were strong enough to be personally selected by the Grand Duke and had all performed greatly in war.

With these men, defeat was impossible regardless of who the opponent was.

Moreover, the opponent was Ptotr, now just an empty shell with most of its main forces gone. A royal court without even a standing army wasn’t frightening. No, it was ridiculous.

While Duke Duter had become king through strength and was confident in his military power, Gregory was merely a lucky king with Habsburg blood flowing through his veins.

‘His neck should be easy enough.’

He wanted to cut off Gregory’s head right away. Duter spoke with fierce eyes looking ahead.

“Let’s move.”

At his signal, the elite group began moving, spurring their horses all at once.

Duter came from an insignificant family with no known ancestral home, but despite these limitations, he had unified small countries through force and ascended to the position of Grand Duke.

Because of the long-standing discrimination he faced for not being nobility, Duter wanted his child to inherit good bloodlines. Therefore, he wanted his Grand Duchess to be at least of royal descent.

To marry Ptotr’s First Princess as his Grand Duchess, Duter gave away many lands including the village of Arante, as well as private soldiers. Not only that, but after agreeing to manage the annual monster subjugations in the Grand Duchy and giving Ptotr a large dowry and jewels, he was finally able to welcome Roanne Habsburg as his Grand Duchess.

Although she was a wife obtained at great cost, it was acceptable for the sake of the Lonavita Grand Duchy and his child. He could endure it with the thought that his offspring would lead a
country with lineage as excellent as anyone else’s.

However, Roanne couldn’t conceive a child for several years.

Despite bringing in expensive medicines, physicians, and priests to try to have a child, the results weren’t good. Their relationship deteriorated with each successive failure.

Later, he discovered that she was infertile.

That’s when it started. Duter began to lay hands on Roanne and confined her to her room, giving her nothing.

Every time he saw her, he remembered Gregory’s gaze looking down on him as if seeing something dirty.

Ptotr had sold his princess to the Grand Duke for a high price despite knowing this fact. When Duter found out, he was furious. He couldn’t contain his anger toward Gregory, who had taken everything while mocking his desperation.

Duter gritted his teeth.

‘Filthy bloodline.’

Duter continued to crave royal bloodlines while simultaneously despising them.

In the midst of this, how happy he was when he heard Eve Hesse’s information. How delighted he was at the thought of obtaining all information and weaknesses about Ptotr from her.

At the thought of taking revenge on Ptotr who had humiliated him!

“The royal palace is visible ahead!”

One of the subordinates riding alongside him shouted.

In the distance, a large golden dome roof was visible.

The emotions he had kept hidden deep in his heart blossomed like a flower.

‘Ah, yes.’

This was certain.

‘I want to kill him.’

He wanted to kill Ptotr’s king who would be under that golden dome.

He wanted to see Gregory dying coldly in a corner of the kingdom he had worked so hard to build.

Duter kicked his horse’s side hard, adding speed to the galloping horse. He glared at Ptotr’s royal palace with fierce eyes.

After riding for a while, Duter’s group arrived in front of Ptotr’s Bonvor Castle.

“Were we not detected?”

“Yes, we definitely weren’t detected during our movement from the border to here.”

To hide their presence, they had used magic to conceal their traces throughout their journey from the border to the castle.

They had crossed the defensive embankments and towers surrounding Bonvor Castle by using magic at places where the barriers were weak, as informed by Eve.

Two of the elite members wearing black hoods were breathing particularly roughly. They were the mages brought by the Grand Duke.

The two mages had exhausted all their energy and were slumped weakly on their horses, holding the reins.

Duter checked their condition and took out small vials from his pocket, throwing one to each.

They were potions that temporarily boosted stamina.

“Drink up, it will replenish your strength.”

“Thank you.”

“…Thank you.”

Duter looked up at Bonvor Castle visible before him.

‘By now, the news must have reached Gregory’s ears.’

From the watchtowers near Bonvor Castle, there were many barrier stones planted, so the magic concealing their appearance would have already been dispelled.

But how would they stop them now that they had already arrived? All the soldiers in the Ptotr royal palace would be no match for the Grand Duchy’s elite few, trained through numerous battles and exercises.

“We’re going in now!”

“Yes!”

With Duter’s command, the elite group quickly entered Bonvor Castle where Gregory was.
It was the beginning of war.

***

Taking control of Bonvor Castle didn’t require much effort.

As expected, the skills of the royal knights were miserable compared to the elite few gathered by Duter.

“What is it that you want to do this?”

Gregory had no choice but to kneel before Duter.

“This shouldn’t be happening. We can resolve this through talk…”

“Resolve through talk?”

It wasn’t even funny.

If he wanted to resolve it through dialogue, he should have contacted him first. Cheating through marriage someone who had given everything to have one bloodline?

It sounded like nothing more than desperate words from someone fearing for his life.

Duter looked down at Gregory who was pathetically prostrated.

‘Just because of this man.’

Just because of one Habsburg.

Duter pointed his anger-filled blade at Gregory’s neck.

As the sharp sword cut his skin and blood flowed, Gregory desperately tried to persuade Duter.

“Marriage? Are you dissatisfied with the marriage? Is that it? Roanne isn’t a bad child, but she’s not very attentive. If you want… I’ll send you the Second Princess! Juliana may not be as beautiful as Roanne, but she knows how to serve her husband.”

The Second Princess was already engaged to another man. Now he would make her the Grand Duchess of the Grand Duchy? Removing the current Grand Duchess?

‘I cannot accept this.’

As Gregory continued speaking, Duter’s head grew colder.

Duter had wanted to pass down noble royal bloodlines to his heir. Unlike himself, he had vowed that his heir would live a perfect life in a perfect position.

But was this pitiful Habsburg, trembling before force, really part of something perfect?

Did he really want to pass down this man’s family line?

‘No.’

Royal bloodline—if all the Habsburgs died, what would be the meaning of being royalty anyway?

Duter’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

The tip of his sword dug into Gregory’s shoulder.

“Aaaaagh!!!”

Gregory let out an ear-splitting scream.

Contrary to expectations that blood would gush out immediately, the sword only pierced enough to wound Gregory’s shoulder blade before stopping.

Killing Gregory now would be wasteful and foolish.

‘If the king dies now, the crown prince naturally inherits the right of succession.’

Glishakov Habsburg would become king and hold the authority of the Grand Council.

That would make things more complicated.

‘I need to keep him alive until I find Glishakov Habsburg.’

“Aaaaagh! It hurts!!!”

Duter frowned at Gregory’s screaming and withdrew his sword.

As the sword embedded in his shoulder was removed, Gregory rolled around on the floor, crying out in pain.

Duter ignored him and shook the blood off his sword onto the floor.

After rolling around for a while, Gregory regained his senses and glared at Duter with wide eyes.

“What exactly do you want! You have to tell me so I can know!”

Gregory seemed to sense that Duter wouldn’t kill him and began raising his voice.

After staring at Gregory for a while, Duter slowly opened his mouth.

“Hand over control of the Grand Council.”

At the Grand Duke’s words, Gregory was so surprised he couldn’t close his slightly parted lips.

“The Grand Council…? You did all this just for that?”

“……”

When Duter didn’t answer, Gregory raised his voice even more.

“What is it worth abandoning friendly relations for! What will you do if the Papal Office learns of
this!”

“If you wanted to maintain friendly relations, you should have been more amicable.”

“Amicable?! How much more amicable do you want us to be! Ptotr has spared no support for the Grand Duchy, and I even gave you my precious daughter…!”

Gregory momentarily shrank back at Duter’s fierce gaze, but he firmly expressed his opinion.

Precious daughter…

Could he call a princess abandoned to a foreign country a precious daughter?

Now even talking to Gregory seemed like a waste of time.

‘Yes, at this point…’

Duter thought it was time to use the story Eve had suggested.

“Fine, let’s say she’s precious. But did you know that precious daughter of yours tried to kill me?”

“W-what…! That can’t be… That’s impossible. Wait. Let me contact Roanne!”

“I heard the Grand Duchess is deliberately not receiving communications from Ptotr?”

Duter spoke without mentioning that he had intercepted the letters himself.

Gregory argued for a long time, unable to believe Duter’s words.

“That’s impossible. I truly never said such a thing. I never ordered anything like that!”

“Then why do you think I came here?”

Gregory was at a loss for words.

It was plainly visible on Gregory’s face that he was thinking, ‘Did he really come here to take revenge because Roanne attempted assassination?’

Though Duter had no intention of following her plan completely, adding such a specific story to this invasion seemed to increase its entertainment value, which gave him great satisfaction.

‘Besides, even the king doesn’t know whether my story is true or false.’

Suppressing the laughter that threatened to burst out, Duter spoke to Gregory.

“Now. Will you accept my proposal or not? Just answer that.”